Frequently Asked Questions...

1. What should I wear to my treatments?
Please wear comfortable clothing to your physiotherapy, chiropractic, or massage sessions. Appropriate exercise clothing and shoes are required for the active program. A pair of shorts is also required for treatment of lower-body injuries (e.g. knee, ankle).

2. Am I covered?
Please call us to provide your group health plan number and I.D. number, and our insurance team will contact your insurance provider for details. Or click here to provide your information online and we will call you back.

3. Is there parking?
Yes, we have parking onsite.

4. How long are treatments?
Typical treatments are scheduled for 30 minutes. However, some physiotherapy treatments may be 15 or 60 minutes and registered massage therapy treatments may be 60 minutes. Initial assessments are scheduled for 30 minutes.

5. How much notice is required to cancel my appointment and is there a fee for cancelling?
We require 24 hours notice for any cancellation, to give us enough time to accommodate other patients who hope to book an appointment time on that day. A $20 charge will apply for each missed appointment with less than 24 hours notice. In the case of an emergency, please contact us as soon as you can.

6. I think I have tendonitis. What can I do to fix it?
Tendonitis means inflammation of a tendon – the fibrous tissue that attaches a muscle to bone. This could occur at any muscle insertion point in the body, but people most commonly experience symptoms at the shoulder, elbow, arch of the foot, or at the heel (Achilles tendon). Symptoms of elbow tendonitis – a.k.a. golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow – can include pain while gripping or holding an object, opening a jar or turning a door handle. Symptoms of foot tendonitis – a.k.a. plantar fasciitis – can include pain with weight bearing especially upon waking or tenderness to touch. Standard treatments such as rest, icing, stretching or massage can often be effective.

New research has shown that tendons under long term stress do not experience inflammation but actually undergo damaging structural changes, leading to pain and dysfunction. A degenerative injury of this nature – referred to as a tendinosis – will be resistant to standard treatments.

So what do you do if standard treatments are not helping your injury? Your first step would be to have the problem assessed by someone qualified to diagnose musculo-skeletal disorders, such as a Chiropractor. A tendinosis requires focused soft-tissue therapy to repair the damaged fibers. Active Release Technique and Graston Technique are two such specialized treatments that will set a damaged tendon on the road to a quick recovery.

7. Should I use ice or heat for my pain?
It depends on the type of injury and the length of time that you have been suffering from it. Both ice and heat provide modest pain relief. However, ice also provides an anti-inflammatory effect. Therefore, for recent acute injuries it is advisable to ice for the first 24-48 hours after onset. The recommended frequency is 10 minutes of ice followed by 10 minutes of rest. You can repeat this cycle as often as necessary. Common methods of applying cold are ice cubes in a plastic baggie, a frozen gel pack, or a bag of frozen peas. For the brave of heart, an ice water bath for injured hands or feet can be used. However, in this case, you should only submerge the injured body part for 5 minutes.

The application of heat is useful for chronic conditions. Often pain resulting from osteoarthritis or chronic stiffness responds well to heat. Heat can be applied with the use of heating pads, hot water bottles, microwavable bean bags or gel packs. The use of moist heat will provide better penetration and more comfort. Heating for 20 minutes to 1 hour is suitable for most conditions.

These recommendations are provided as general information for common painful conditions. Ultimately, if you suffer from severe pain or a pathological condition, an assessment from a regulated health professional is required. Active Body Clinic specializes in the assessment and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. We are your local one-stop-shop for all of your physiotherapy, chiropractic, massage therapy and acupuncture treatments.

8. Do I need a doctor referral to start treatment at Active Body Clinic?
No, we do not need a doctor referral to assess you and begin treatment. However, some insurance companies may require a doctor referral in order to issue payments for your treatments.